Spring wouldn't be Spring without some Flowers

Is it just me or has spring been extremely wet this year ? I can't remember my flowers being in trouble because they are flooded out rather than dried up. Anyways - I did take a few pictures of some flower buds around our yard and I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do:

As always: Clicking on the images will allow you to view them full size. Enjoy !

Instant Summer !

Boy oh boy - we did the usual Virginia thing: Go straight from winter through a couple of days of spring into summer. Mind you, last week the temps were in the fifties, which makes us pretty cheerful. My kind of temperature ! This week is a different story: Straight from the fifties into the nineties.  Guess what ? With the hot weather the humidity returns and it's back to getting up at the crack of dawn to take the furgang for a spin. I still hate walking in the neighborhood and so I end up loading them up into the car and off we go to Great Falls Park usually. It's only a 15-20 minute drive and we rather walk in the woods than in an asphalt jungle. It turned out to be a beautiful morning and we leisurely walked for almost two hours. Around nine o'clock the sun started feeling very intense already and we were glad that we got to walk under the protection of the forest shade.

It's amazing how lush and green it is this spring. We had more rain than usual and I can't wait for the hordes of mosquitoes as a result of it. This is a glance at the swamp area and I am convinced that these blood sucking little warriors are plotting big battle plans on how to get us eventually. Can't wait !

Mosquitoes and other blood sucking insects aside, there's nothing more peaceful than walking through a forest early in the morning. I just love the light coming in through the trees and the fact, that one meets only the occasional jogger. It's bliss !

The mountain laurels are at full bloom . . .

... and some funny looking long and low creatures have been seen grazing like miniature cows along the way.

While others wait patiently at the side of the path for the crazy photographer to pack away the cam. Today I took the small pocket cam with me again. It's just too much luggage to drag the big cam with all the lenses and three dogs in the other hand. The small cam comes in handy to quickly take some snap shots as we go along.

That's it for today, folks. We'll be back soon. I think tomorrow we will have to step aside for some serious flower pics and other yard stuff. You never know. :-)

Another Adventurous Walk

Today I loaded up the furgang and we headed out towards Riverbend park. I just love the path that goes next to the river and eventually up into the woods. The footing is soft and it almost feels like walking on the beach, and the dogs love to romp around in it.
Here you can see what it looks like:

We did get some rain on and off and so it doesn't look as 'fluffy' as it usually does. The ground was a bit firmer, but still very nice to walk on. Bica hates walking on gravel and I think it does hurt her paws, because whenever we walk on good footing like this one, she gets very cheerful and bouncy. (When she's not seen somewhere in the underbrush gnawing away on grass.) I just love the colors of spring. That fresh and luscious green of the ferns covering the forest floor:

After a while we came upon "Black Pond". It's an amphibian's dream come true:

Rodney being Rodney has to check out, if there's anything worth hunting hidden there somewhere. I suspected some frogs, maybe some water turtles, but it was going to be something entirely different. Let's roll the footage:

Here we have the canine surveillance team at work. (Leashes were removed via photoshop - they looked quite disturbing in that picture.)

Some - like Rodmeister - a bit more intense and serious than others......

 . . . and right before Bica's eyes he disappears underneath that wooden landing. I see something moving out of there into the open pond real fast, blowing huge bubbles. My first thought was: A SNAPPING TURTLE ! I saw Rodney's paw hanging by a thread, not knowing how on earth I would manage to carry him out of the woods to the car, which was parked at least forty minutes the other way. About 20 feet further out, I saw a brownish looking head popping out of the water which was attached to a body that was at least twice the size of Rodney's, if not bigger:

 You guessed it: It was fully grown beaver and Rodney wanted him real bad.

 I on the other hand was very grateful, that beavers are herbivores and not into eating teckels. I was also grateful, that this humangous looking vermin did not dig his tree felling teeth into my dog's body or drown him, as he was trying to swim after it. I had to reel him in real fast and here's yet another reason, why it's so important to keep your dogs on a leash while hiking in the woods. Especially when your blessed with a hunting maniac like Rodney. He discovered his genes at an earthdog trial and never looked back....... After I got him back to shore safe and sound, he was convinced that there must be a way to get to this beaver. All we ended up with were frogs jumping into the pond. Nonetheless - that was fun too.

 Come out, come out - wherever you are ! !

Do we really have to go home now ? I'll be back !

Home again. You guys notice something ? It's always me our hu-woman seems to write about. As if the girls were angels......... Bummer ! 

Rodney, honey - they are !

Funtime in the Yard

Usually we go for our long walk in the park early in the morning and if the weather is nice, the furgang loves to hang out in the yard. Bicalina enjoys a good roll in the grass

or a relaxed sunbath on the patio

Rodney and Tessa on the other hand love their ballgames. Not just any ball, no - it has to be a cuzball and the neighbors are probably sick and tired of hearing the loud squeals and squeaks this two-legged ball produces. My apologies to the neighbors, but the sound effects are what makes this toy so desirable. It immediately loses its charm once the squeaker dies and I may as well discard it. Our yard is on a slope and thus great exercise grounds for the gang.

Here you can see Tessa zooming in on the object of desire . . .

... with Mr. Monstermeister closing in quickly.

Sometimes Tessa turns into quite the acrobat catching the ball . . .

 . . . even sliding stops are in her repertoire

... just to find herself harassed by none other than Rodney, whose short legs aren't accelerating as fast as Tessa's long ones, thus making him arrive at the landing spot a few seconds later.

Can't you tell, he's upset ? :-)

Mostly Tessa beats him to it though and brings the ball back to me . . .

Except for the few times, HE outsmarts her and then its no telling where the ball will end up.  He certainly does not bring it back to me. A thousand years from now, archeologists will find a graveyard of cuzballs in the middle of Mclean and they will not have a clue what they are all about. They will say that an ancient tribe buried some sacred two legged balls to calm the gods........... Thanks, Rodney for you contribution to world history ! In the meantime I have an entire arsenal of cuzballs "in reserve" to jump into action when yet another one goes through one of Rodney's burial routines. On occasion one will pop up again, should he ever remember where he left it........ 

The survivors are safeguarded by none other than Tessa ! Good job, girl !

I know - I'm late yet again........

This is a matter of utmost importance and even though I'm terribly late in posting it, but the news is, that as of Mai 6th, 2011 Bicalina has been with us for five years ! It seems like yesterday. I remember the day we went to the Reston Pet Fiesta to adopt her from Dachshund Rescue of America.  She was the most scared little creature we had ever seen. Her eyes had lost all their spark and she looked as if she had given up on life. Who would have thought that today, five years later, she has turned into this little bundle of silliness and affection ?

I hope we get to have you around for many years to come !